Reinforced corner construction for collapsible containers



y 1962 H. w. FORRERQ 3,034,698

REINFORCED CORNER CONSTRUCTION FOR COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. HOMER W. FORRER ATTORNEY 3,034,6fi8 REINFORCED CORNER CQNSTRUCTHGN FGR COLLAPSEBLE QUNTERS Homer W. Forrer, East Point, Ga, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Mead Corporation, Dayton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 1, 1959, Ser. No. 856,522 1 Claim. (6i. 22 32) This invention relates to a reinforced corner construction for collapsible containers and more particularly to a multi-paneled reinforcing means integrally formed with one side wall of a collapsible folding box and secured to the adjacent side wall to afford supplementary vertical support for the box when in an erected condition.

Containers of the type commonly used in packaging several items of wearing apparel such as men's shirts, for example, are ordinarily made of paperboard and are of collapsible construction. Such containers are received by the garment manufacturer from the container manufacturer in collapsed form. After the containers are set up and loaded they must afford substantial crush resistance because they are stacked on top of one another in several layers when in storage and when being transported. Furthermore in known collapsible containers of the above described type there is a tendency for the containers to collapse after they are set up and before they are loaded unless special provision is made to prevent this undesired tendency.

A principal object of this invention is to increase substantially the stacking strength of collapsible containers.

Another object is to provide an improved collapsible container which is inherently adapted to remain in set up condition whether loaded or not.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of an improved paper board container of the collapsible type which can be constructed of relatively light weight material without impairing its crush resistance or its capability of remaining in set-up condition before being loaded.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container having the above described advantages and which in addition can be manufactured on conventional machines and without substantial waste of material.

The invention in one form as applied to a collapsible paper-board box for packaging mens shirts, for example, may comprise a first generally rectangular side wall panel to one end of which a reinforcing tab is integrally formed and foldably adjoined, a second generally rectangular side Wall panel, the adjacent end of which is secured by glue or other suitable means to a first part of the reinforcing tab, the second side wall panel having a diagonally disposed score line to facilitate collapse of the container, and the reinforcing tab having a second part secured to the inner surface of the first panel and arranged to occupy a supporting position adjacent the said side walls and movable to a non-supporting container collapsing position away from the side Walls.

For a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings 'in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible container embodying the invention and which is shown in its set-up condition; FIG. 2A is a detailed fragmentary view taken above the corner designated in FIG. 1 along the line 2-2 and showing the reinforcing means in its initial condition during setting up of the box; FIG. 2B is a view similar to FIG. 2A and showing the fully set-up position; FIG. 3 is a plan view of a paperboard blank from which the box of FIG. 1 is formed; and in which FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views showing the blank of FIG. 3 in its various Patented May 15,1852

stages of progression from the blank to the finished :container.

With reference to FIG. 1 the numeral 1 designates the bottom of the container while the numerals 2, 3, 4i and 5 designate side walls which are foldably joined to the bottom 1 along fold lines 6, 7, 8 and respectively. Sidewalls 4 and 5 are provided with score lines 10, 11, 12 and 13 which are for the purpose of facilitating collapse of the box as will be more fully explained hereinafter. Shown in FIG. 1 for purposes of completeness is a conventional top generally designated by the numeral 14, the top being shown in fragmentary form. For purposes of clarity the ends of panel 4 designated by the numerals l5 and 1e are sometimes referred to herein as corner defining edges and similar terminology is used to denote the ends 17 and 18 of collapsible panel 5. In like fashion the ends of panel 2 designated by the numerals 19 and 2t) and the ends of panel 3 designated by the numerals 21 and 22 are also sometimes referred to herein as cornerdefining edges, the main body of panels 2-5 inclusive being generally of rectangular configuration.

In accordance with this invention a reinforcing tab is foldably joined and integrally formed with the cornerdefining edges 19 and 26 of panel 2 and such reinforcing tabs are generally designated in FIG. 3 by the numerals 23 and 24. In like fashion corresponding panels foldably joined to the corner defining edges 21 and 22 of sidewall panel 3 are designated in FIG. 3 generally by the numerals 25 and 26.

Since the reinforcing tabs 2346 inclusive are of identical construction only one such tab is described in detail. This tab is described in connection with FIGS. 2 and 3 and is generally designated by the numeral 2d. As is shown in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 3 the reinforcing tab is provided with a first part 27 which is secured to the inner surface of sidewall 5 adjacent the corner defining edge 17 thereof. Such junction preferably is by way of glue. The first part 27 of the reinforcing tab 24 is separated from the second part thereof by ascore line 2% and the end of the second part of reinforcing tab designated by the numeral 29 is secured to the inner surface of panel 2 adjacent the corner defining edge 2% thereof. Preferably such junction is by way of glue. While glue is deemed preferable it will be understood that other means could be used if desired. An edge of end part 29 is defined by the score line 30. interposed between the score line 28 and the score line 30 are a pair of reinforcing panels 31 and 32 separated by a score line 33.

When the box is in its erect position as depicted in FIG. 1 the reinforcing panels 3d and 32 are disposed adjacent the sidewalls 2 and 5 with the fold line 33 adjacent the corner of the box as shown in FIG. 2B. When so disposed it will be obvious that a substantial crush resistance is afforded by means of the invention, and that the effect of the reinforcing structure of this invention is also to maintain the box in its set-up condition against the inherent tendency of the paperboard to collapse. Furthermore it will be obvious that the container described above can be formed on conventional equipment and that the reinforcing tabs 23-26 are made from the corner sections of the blank which would normally be waste.

The steps by which the container of FIG. 1 is formed from the blank of FIG. 3 are shown in FIGS. 4 through 7 inclusive. As is shown for example in FIG. 4, each of the reinforcing tabs is first folded inwardly along its medial fold line which in FIG. 3 is designated by the numeral 33. When so folded an application of glue is made to panels 29 as indicated by stippling.

Thereafter the reinforcing tabs 2d26 are folded inwardly along the corner defining edges 19, 2t), 21 and 22 respectively to the positions depicted in FIG. so that i the glue indicated by the stippling in FIG. 4 joins panel 29 to the inner surfaces of sidewalls 2 and 3. Glue is then applied to the outer ends of panels 27 as indicated by stippling in FIG. 5. Side wall panels 5 and 4 are then folded inwardly along lines 8 and 9 and subsequently the end parts of the panels 4 and 5 are folded over along the score lines 10, 11, 12 and 13. Side wall panel 3 is then folded over the bottom. panel 1 so that the glue on panels 27 forms a junction along the corner defining edges 16 and 1 8 at the ends of side panels 4 and 5 respectively. Upon completion of this last described folding operation the container appears as depicted in FIG. 6.

In order to complete the collapsed structure depicted in FIG. 7 it is only necessary to fold the side panel 2 over along the fold line 6 so that the glue indicated by stippling on panel 27 in FIG. 6 forms a junction with the ends of panels 4 and 5 adjacent their corner defining edges 15 and 17 respectively.

In order to set up the collapsed carton depicted in FIG. 7 it is only necessary as is well known to pull the top edges of the walls 4 and 5 apart and by so doing to unfold the panels 2 and 3 to cause the areas of each panel to lie in a common plane with the reinforcing means occupying the positions shown in FIG. 2A. A force applied at score line 33 rearranges the parts to the positions shown in FIG. 2B. The box then occupies the set-up position depicted in FIG. 1.

When collapsed the panel 32 lies against panel 31 with the score line 33 remote from the corner designated by the fold line 20. Also the panel 29 in collapsed position lies with its inner face adjacent the inner face of panel 27.

While I have shown the reinforcing tabs 23, 24, 25 and 26 as being formed integrally with the sidewall panels 2 and 3, it will be understood that by appropriate modification of the size of the various panels as is well understood by those skilled in the art, the reinforcing tabs 23-26 could be formed integrally with the ends of panels 4 and S if desired. When so formed it will be understood that the proper parts of the reinforcing tabs would be secured by glue or other means to the ends of sidewall panels 2 and 3. Stated otherwise it is largely immaterial whether the reinforcing tabs are formed integrally with the sidewalls on which the collapsing scores -13 inclusive are formed or whether such reinforcing tabs are formed integrally with the ends of the remaining two side wall panels.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of the invention I do not wish to be limited thereto and intend in the appended claim to cover all such changes and modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A reinforced collapsible box corner construction comprising a first generally rectangular side wall panel having a corner defining edge, a second generally rectangular side Wall panel normally 'angularly disposed relative to said first side wall panel and having a corner defining edge, one of said side wall panels having a diagonal score line extending from a corner thereof defined by its corner defining edge along which said one of said side wall panels is foldable to cause areas on opposite sides of said score line to occupy positions of parallel relationship to each other thereby to result in collapse of the box, a reinforcing tab foldably joined to said corner defining edge of said first panel and having a first part thereof secured to said second panel to form a corner of the box and having a second part thereof foldably joined along an edge of said first part and having a part foldably secured along the inside surface of said first panel, said second part extending across substantially the entire height of the side wall panels in a direction generally parallel to said corner defining edges and said second part having a pair of reinforcing panels foldably joined along a fold line normally closely adjacent to the box corner so that said reinforcing panels normally are respectively disposed in substantially parallel relation with the ends of said first and second panels when the box is erected so as to afford vertical reinforcement to said side wall panels and to aid in maintaining said side walls in erect position and said reinforcing panels being foldable away from their normal positions so as to space the fold line therebetween farther away from the box corner so they will be in substantially face contacting relation with each other when said box is collapsed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 698,106 Dalsheimer Apr. 22, 1902 2,396,140 Zalkind Mar. 5, 1946 2,775,393 Rugg Dec. 25, 1956 2,934,250 Stoltz Apr. 26, 1960 2,949,222 Coe Aug. 16, 1960 

